Organized according to the military reform of Peter the Great. Military reforms of Peter I

He stands among the most educated and talented builders of the armed forces, generals and naval commanders of Russian and world history of the 18th century. His whole life's work was to strengthen Russia's military power and increase its role in the international arena.

As noted by the prominent Russian historian Vasily Klyuchevsky: “Military reform was Peter’s primary transformative task, the longest and most difficult for both himself and the people. It is very important in our history; it is not just a question of state defense: reform had a profound effect both on the structure of society and on the further course of events.”

The military reform of Peter I included a set of government measures to reorganize the system of army recruitment and military administration, create a regular navy, improve weapons, develop and implement a new system of training and education of military personnel.

During Peter's military reforms, the former military organization: noble and streltsy troops and regiments of the “new system” (military units formed in the 17th century in Russia on the model of Western European armies). These regiments went to form the regular army and formed its core.

Peter I introduced new system recruitment of the regular army. In 1699, conscription was introduced, legalized by the decree of Peter I in 1705. Its essence was that the state forcibly annually recruited a certain number of recruits into the army and navy from the tax-paying classes, peasants and townspeople. From 20 households they took one single person between the ages of 15 and 20 (however, during the Northern War, these periods constantly changed due to a shortage of soldiers and sailors).

By the end of Peter's reign, the number of all regular troops, infantry and cavalry, ranged from 196 to 212 thousand people.

Along with the reorganization of the land army, Peter began to create a navy. By 1700, the Azov fleet consisted of more than 50 ships. During the Northern War, the Baltic Fleet was created, which by the end of the reign of Peter I consisted of 35 large battleships, 10 frigates and about 200 galley (rowing) ships with 28 thousand sailors.

Under Peter I, the army and navy received a uniform and harmonious organization, regiments, brigades and divisions were formed in the army, squadrons, divisions and detachments were formed in the navy, and cavalry of a single dragoon type was created. To manage the active army, the position of commander-in-chief (field marshal general) was introduced, and in the navy - admiral general.

Military administration reform was carried out. Instead of Orders, Peter I established a military collegium in 1718, which was in charge of the field army, “garrison troops” and all “military affairs”. The final structure of the Military College was determined by a decree of 1719. The first president of the military college was Alexander Menshikov. The collegial system differed from the order system primarily in that one body dealt with all issues of a military nature. IN war time At the head of the army was the Commander-in-Chief. Under him, a Military Council (as an advisory body) and a field headquarters headed by the Quartermaster General (assistant to the commander-in-chief) were created.

During the reform of the army, a unified system was introduced military ranks, finally formalized in the Table of Ranks of 1722. The service ladder included 14 classes from field marshal and admiral general to warrant officer. The service and ranks of the Table of Ranks were based not on birth, but on personal abilities.

Paying much attention to the technical re-equipment of the army and navy, Peter I established the development and production of new types of ships, new types of artillery guns and ammunition. Under Peter I, the infantry began to arm itself with flintlock rifles, and a domestic-style bayonet was introduced.

The government of Peter I attached particular importance to the education of the national officer corps. At first, all young nobles were required to serve as soldiers in the Preobrazhensky and Semenovsky Guards regiments for 10 years, starting at the age of 15. Upon receiving their first officer rank, noble children were sent to army units, where they served for life. However, such a system of training officers could not fully satisfy the growing needs for new personnel, and Peter I established a number of special military schools. In 1701, an artillery school for 300 people was opened in Moscow, and in 1712 a second artillery school was opened in St. Petersburg. To train engineering personnel, two engineering schools were created (in 1708 and 1719).

To train naval personnel, Peter I opened a school of mathematical and navigational sciences in Moscow in 1701, and a Maritime Academy in St. Petersburg in 1715.

Peter I forbade the promotion to officers of persons who had not received appropriate training at a military school. There were often cases when Peter I personally examined “minors” (children of the nobility). Those who failed the exam were sent to serve in the navy as privates without the right to be promoted to officer.

The reforms introduced a unified system of training and education of troops. Based on the experience of the Northern War, instructions and regulations were created: “Military Articles”, “Institution for Battle”, “For Field Battle Rules”, “Naval Regulations”, “Military Regulations of 1716”.

Taking care of the morale of the troops, Peter I awarded distinguished generals with the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called, established by him in 1698, and soldiers and officers with medals and promotions (soldiers also with money). At the same time, Peter I introduced severe discipline in the army with corporal punishment and the death penalty for serious military crimes.

The military system created by the government of Peter I turned out to be so stable that it lasted until the end of the 18th century without significant changes. In the decades following Peter I of the 18th century, the Russian armed forces developed under the influence of Peter's military reforms, and the principles and traditions of the regular army continued to improve. They found their continuation in the combat activities of Pyotr Rumyantsev and Alexander Suvorov. The works of Rumyantsev “Rite of Service” and Suvorov “Regimental Establishment” and “Science of Victory” were an event in the life of the army and a great contribution to domestic military science.

The material was prepared by the editorial staff of RIA Novosti based on open sources

Military reforms occupy a special place among Peter's reforms. It was the task of creating a modern, combat-ready army and navy that occupied the young tsar even before he became a sovereign sovereign. Historians count only a few months of peacetime in more than 35 -Peter's summer reign. It is clear that it was the army and navy that were the main concern of Peter. But military reforms are important not only in themselves. They had a great, sometimes decisive influence on transformations in other areas. “The war indicated the order of reform, gave it the tempo and the very methods,” wrote the outstanding Russian historian Vasily Osipovich Klyuchevsky.

Even in early childhood, Peter amazed the courtiers with his passion for military fun, which were constantly held in the village of Preobrazhenskoye near Moscow, where the little prince lived with his mother, Tsarina Natalya Kirillovna Naryshkina. However, from the end 80 's XVII V. “playing soldiers” is becoming serious. IN 1689 Mr. Peter finds in Izmailovo, which belonged to the boyar N.I. Romanov, an old English boat who was destined to become the “grandfather of the Russian fleet.” In the same year, Peter devoted all his time to the construction of small ships on Lake Pleshcheyevo, near the ancient city of Pereslavl-Zalessky; Experienced Dutch craftsmen help him in this. in spring 1690 The young tsar equips a whole flotilla of small rowing vessels and boats, which sets sail along the Moscow River. At the same time, Peter created two “amusing regiments” from the “robots” - comrades of his childhood amusements, which later became the famous Semenovsky and Preobrazhensky guards regiments. Real military maneuvers are already beginning. The Presburg fortress is being built on the Yauza, which in Peter’s “amusements” played the role of a “capital city” (i.e. capital). WITH 1691 “Amusing” battles are regularly organized between the archers led by I.I. Buturlin and Peter’s “amusing regiments,” which were usually commanded by the “Prince Caesar” F.Yu. Romodanovsky. The Tsar himself, under the name of Peter Alekseevich, had the low rank of captain in one of the regiments. These battles were so fierce that sometimes there were human casualties. So, in one of the “amusing” battles, Prince I.D. was mortally wounded. Dolgoruky.

“Amusing regiments” became the core of the future regular (standing) army and showed themselves well during the Azov campaigns 1695 And 1696 gg.

The first baptism of fire of the Russian fleet, built in Voronezh after the unsuccessful first Azov campaign, dates back to this time. Due to lack of treasury necessary funds financing the construction of the fleet was entrusted to “kumpanstvo” (companies). This was the name given to associations of secular and spiritual landowners, as well as merchants who had to build ships with their own money. With the beginning of the Northern War ( 1700 –1721 gg.) Peter's main attention is focused on the Baltic Sea, and since then 1703 St. Petersburg was founded, the construction of ships was carried out almost exclusively in this city. As a result, by the end of Peter's reign, Russia, which had 48 linear and 788 galley (rowing) and other vessels, became one of the strongest maritime powers in Europe.

The outbreak of the Northern War led to the final creation of a regular army. Previously, the army consisted of two main parts: the noble militia and various semi-regular formations (streltsy, Cossacks, foreign regiments, etc.). Peter changed the very principle of recruiting the army. Periodic convocations of the noble militia were replaced by recruitment drives, which extended to the entire population who paid taxes and carried out state duties. The first such set was produced in 1699 d. However, the corresponding decree was signed only in 1705 g., and from that time on, recruitment became annual (one person was taken from 20 households). Only single men aged from 15 before 20 years (however, during the Northern War, due to the constant shortage of soldiers and sailors, these age restrictions were constantly changing). Recruitment sets placed a heavy burden, first of all, on the Russian village. The length of service was practically undefined, and a person sent to the army had no hope of returning to normal life. However, a huge army, the number of which by the end of the reign of Peter I reached 200 thousand people (not counting about 100 thousand Cossacks), allowed Russia to win a brilliant victory in the grueling Northern War

The main results of Peter’s military reforms boil down to the following:

the creation of a strong regular army capable of fighting and defeating Russia’s main opponents;

the emergence of a whole galaxy of talented commanders (Menshikov, Sheremetev, Apraksin, Bruce, etc.);

creating a powerful navy from almost nothing;

an unprecedented increase in military spending and, as a result, covering them through the most severe squeezing of funds from the common people.

The first administrative reform was the creation of 1699 g. special department of cities. A series of decrees introduced local self-government for the urban merchants, as well as the population of Pomeranian (northern) cities. The power of the governor was abolished. Elected bailiffs had to be in charge of the court and the collection of government payments. The Moscow City Hall, elected by the capital's merchants, was placed at the head of the new local government bodies. It was in charge of the main state revenues from cities, as well as general supervision of the actions of self-government bodies. The Town Hall was headed by the former butler of the boyar A.A. Sheremetev in the position of “Chief Inspector of the Town Hall Board”. Kurbatov.

But expenses grew, and gradually the king began to lose confidence in the financial capabilities of the Town Hall. Peter comes to the conclusion that “it is difficult for a person to understand and rule everything by sight,” and then to the decision to shift the center of gravity of management to the localities. In addition to financial needs, this was also dictated by the needs of the army. According to Peter's plan, the new local authorities, after the end of the Northern War, were supposed to deal with the quartering of troops (i.e., their placement and support in peaceful conditions). The practical implementation of the reform began at the end 1707 In 1708, the creation of eight provinces: Moscow, Ingria (later St. Petersburg), Kyiv, Smolensk, Arkhangelsk, Kazan, Azov and Siberian. At the head of the province was governor. Under his command were lieutenant governor(deputy), Landrichter, in charge of the court provisions masters to collect grain revenues, other government-appointed officials. The provincial reform actually abolished the transformations 1699 city: the cities were subordinated district commandants(same with 1710 began to be called voivodes), and the Moscow City Hall turned from a national institution into a provincial institution.

Household census 1710 led to another reshaping of the local management. A special payment unit was established in 5536 households, providing one “share” of all funds necessary to cover military expenses. Commandantships (old counties) were abolished, and instead of them “shares” were introduced, headed by new officials - landrat. It was envisaged that, in accordance with the number of such “shares,” each province would have to contain a certain number of regiments.

The main task of the provincial reform - providing the army at the expense of local institutions - was not fulfilled, because The Northern War, despite the Poltava victory, dragged on until 1721 and it was not possible to place the regiments “assigned” to them in the provinces. And the governors’ possibilities for collecting money from the population turned out to be not limitless. Very soon, the increase in military spending led to a chronic lack of funds, and many governors, trying to demonstrate to the tsar their zeal for “state profits,” resorted to all sorts of tricks. For example, the Kazan governor Apraksin came up with new “incomes” and presented the tsar with false statements on them.

All these transformations caused a complete breakdown of central government. As a result of the provincial reform, orders (except for military ones) ceased to exist. At the beginning of the 18th century. Russia actually didn’t even have a capital, because... Moscow has already ceased to be one, but St. Petersburg has not yet become one. The only central authority was the sovereign himself with his associates, who could be called either the “near chancellery”, or the “consultation of ministers”, etc. And here in 1711 g., setting off on a Turkish campaign, Peter issued a short decree that read: “We have determined that there will be a Governing Senate for our absences to govern.” Thus, with one stroke of the pen, an institution was founded that, in one form or another, existed in Russia for about two hundred years. Initially, Peter wanted to create only a temporary government body that would govern the country during his frequent travels around the country and military campaigns. At first time senate consisted of nine of the king's closest employees, and his tasks were rather vague. On the one hand, he was called upon to exercise supreme supervision over the court and take care of increasing income, on the other, Peter demanded from his subjects to recognize the Senate as the highest state body, to which all persons and institutions were obliged to obey as the king himself.

Also in 1712 Peter had the idea to organize “colleges”, following the Swedish model, which were supposed to be in charge of individual branches of management. To study foreign experience, the king sent special expeditions abroad. Several years have passed, and 1718 a decree was signed establishing nine collegiums: Foreign Affairs, Chamber Collegium (in charge of revenue collection), Justice Collegium, Audit Collegium (financial control department). Military, Admiralty (naval forces), Commerce Collegium (trade), Berg Collegium and Manufacturing Collegium (mining and factory industry). State College (department of government expenditures). With the advent of the collegiums, many of the still surviving orders ceased to exist. Some of them became part of new institutions. Thus, seven old orders were included in the Justic College. A feature of the boards, in comparison with orders, was a clearer delineation of the areas of their activity and, most importantly, a consultative, “collegial” order of business. “In the college, the proposed need is analyzed by many minds, and what one does not comprehend, another will comprehend, and what this (this) does not see, then this (that) will see,” - this is how Peter himself explained it. It soon became clear, however, that here too, as the tsar self-critically admitted, “had been done without consideration.” Therefore, the number of boards, their composition, and the areas of activity of each of them changed more than once under Peter. However, the basic principles of their work remained unchanged.

After the establishment of the collegiums, Peter I decided to reform local government in the Swedish manner. IN 1719 –1720 gg. Another reform of the administrative-territorial structure began. The Landrat “shares” that had not justified themselves were cancelled. The provinces were now divided into provinces, and those, in turn, into districts, which basically corresponded to the old counties. The rulers of the districts - zemstvo commissars - were appointed by the Chamber College. The only thing that the Russian government decided not to borrow from the Swedish experience was peasant self-government. "In the districts of peasants smart people no,” explained the rulers of Russia.

City government has also undergone changes. The position of mayors established by the reform 1689 g., was cancelled. The entire townsfolk population was now divided into three parts: the 1st guild (rich merchants, owners of craft workshops), the 2nd guild (small traders, wealthy artisans) and the “mean people”, who made up the vast majority of the urban population. The circle of people who took participation in elections; new city governments, magistrates, now consisted only of representatives of the 1st guild. The activities of city magistrates were controlled and coordinated by the Chief Magistrate, subordinate to the Senate.

A special place among the state reforms of Peter I belongs to the one adopted in 1722 g. Table of ranks. Its meaning is What she brought into the system all government ranks, distributing them into three branches of service: civil, military land and naval. The table of ranks obliged all nobles to serve and announced the service the only way obtaining any government rank, and therefore the basis of any career. “For this reason, we do not allow anyone of any rank until they show us and the fatherland any services and receive character (i.e., official position) for them,” the decree emphasized. At the same time, some opportunities for advancement up the career ladder also opened up for people from the “vile people”: anyone who received the first officer rank or the eighth rank of the civil service (there were 14 in total) became a nobleman.

Many historians recognize administrative changes as the weakest point of Peter's reforms. “All these transformations, which followed one after another in a continuous stream... not only did not lead the population to material and moral prosperity, but were oppression, not much inferior to the war of Peter the Great,” wrote the famous Russian historian V.Ya. Ulanov.

The results of the reforms of Peter 1 are one of the most complex and controversial issues in Russian historical science. We can say that in historiography, at one time, the exact opposite of the first Russian emperor was established. Some saw in him the transformer of Russia and believed that he deserved the merit of including the state into the system of European powers (this was the opinion, in particular, of representatives of the Westernization movement), others, on the contrary, emphasized that his reforms broke the traditional foundations of life in Russian society and led to partial its loss of national identity (this point of view was held, in particular, by the authors of the philosophical movement of the Slavophiles).

Board Brief

The results of the reforms of Peter 1 should be considered in the context of the peculiarities of his reign. These years turned out to be very difficult for the history of Russia, since it was a time of transition. The emperor waged a war for the country's access to the Baltic Sea and at the same time carried out the transformation of the entire socio-political system in the state. However, the downside of his activities was that he carried out his reforms with the expectation that these were temporary measures to govern the country during the war. However, it later turned out that these temporary measures turned out to be more durable than ever. But the ruler himself acted, as they say, hastily, so the results of the reforms of Peter 1 turned out to be very controversial in the sense that they were very often introduced hastily and by administrative methods, without taking into account the specifics of certain areas that were subject to changes.

The essence of transformation

All the measures of the new ruler were aimed at ensuring Russia’s victory during the Northern War with Sweden for access to the Baltic Sea. Therefore, all measures were aimed at improving public administration and management. But the king was also interested in the country being included in the system European countries, since he understood that access to the sea would inevitably lead to a change in the geopolitical position of the state. Therefore, he sought to somehow equalize the degree of development of the country with Western Europe. And the results of Peter 1’s reforms in this area can be called controversial; at least, historians and researchers differ in their assessments of their effectiveness. On the one hand, borrowings in management, administration and culture can be called an important step for the Europeanization of the state, but at the same time their haste and even some disorderliness led to the fact that only a very narrow stratum of nobles adopted Western European norms. The situation of the bulk of the population has not changed.

The significance of political changes

The results of the reforms of Peter 1 should be briefly outlined as follows: Russia gained access to the Baltic Sea, became an empire, and its ruler became an emperor, it became part of the European states and began to play a leading role in the international arena. The main result, undoubtedly, is that the country has received fundamentally new status, therefore, it is not surprising that the king went to such radical and deep reforms, realizing that the state should develop in its own way, but he adhered to European standards. First of all, the talk, of course, was about creating a new bureaucratic system and corresponding legislation.

In this direction, the results of the reforms of Peter 1 should be briefly noted as follows: on the whole, the emperor achieved his goal. He created a management system that existed without fundamental changes until the February Revolution. This suggests that the ruler’s measures to transform the state machine were in place and were carried out in right time. Of course, Russian reality made its own adjustments, which the emperor himself took into account and understood when he introduced his innovations into management and administration.

Results of economic transformations

The negative results of the reforms of Peter 1 also cannot be discounted. After all, the transformations were carried out due to the increased exploitation of the population, and in this case we are talking about all layers of society, starting with serfs and ending with military nobles. There is no doubt that large military expenditures led to serious economic and social problems. However, the ruler took a number of measures to promote the development of the country's economy. Thus, he encouraged the development of industry, contributed to the development of factories, and the development of mineral deposits. He encouraged trade and urban life, realizing that the export and import of goods largely depended on this.

However, all these measures also had a downside. The fact is that, while encouraging the development of trade, the emperor at the same time imposed high taxes on merchants. Manufactories and factories were based on serf labor: entire villages were assigned to them, the inhabitants of which were assigned to production.

Social change

The reforms of Peter 1, the results of which actually changed the appearance of the country, also affected the second quarter of the 18th century. Most historians believe that under him the layers were finally formed, largely thanks to the famous “Table of Ranks,” which established the gradation of officials and military personnel. In addition, under him, the final formalization of serfdom in Russia took place. At the same time, many researchers are not inclined to consider these changes fundamental, believing that they were a natural consequence of the previous stage of the country’s development. Some note that the changes affected only the top of society, and the rest of the population did not undergo any changes.

Culture

The reforms of Peter 1, the reasons, the results of which should be considered in the context of the general historical situation in the country in the second quarter of the 18th century, perhaps most noticeably affected the cultural appearance of the state. Perhaps this is due to the fact that these changes turned out to be the most visible. In addition, the introduction of Western European customs and norms into traditional Russian life was too different from the way of life that society was accustomed to leading over previous generations. The main goal of the emperor was the desire not so much to change the clothes and rules of behavior of the nobility, but to make European cultural institutions effective for Russian life and reality.

But the main results of Peter 1’s reforms in this direction left much to be desired, at least in the first decades of his transformative activity. The main results were already felt during the reign of his successors, especially under Catherine II. Under the emperor, the institutions and institutions he introduced turned out to be not as effective as he would have liked. He wanted the nobles to study, receive a good education, since the country needed professional personnel to develop, first of all, industry and the economy. However, most of the nobles preferred to lead a familiar way of life, and only a few actually accepted the king's reforms in this direction. And yet, the so-called chicks of Petrov’s nest played a big role in the transformative activities of the ruler, and in many ways from their generation grew up those who later determined the cultural and educational policy of the ruler’s successors.

Military sphere

Results, the importance of the reforms of Peter 1 in the transformation of the army can hardly be overestimated. It was he who created the regular Russian army that won so many brilliant victories in the 18th century. It was an army on the European model, which could successfully compete with the troops of other states. Instead of old system The emperor introduced a conscription system for recruiting soldiers. This meant that a certain number of households had to supply a certain number of fighters to the army. This new system lasted for quite a long time, until the second half of the 19th century century, when during the reign of Alexander II it was replaced by a system of universal conscription. The vitality of the tsar’s military reforms indicates that these measures were at this stage historical development corresponded to the tasks and needs of the country.

The Importance of Fleet Building

The results of the reforms of Peter 1, the pros and cons of which, perhaps, can be divided equally, had a particularly pronounced impact in military sphere. In addition to the creation of the army, the emperor is credited with organizing a permanent regular navy, which showed itself brilliantly during the Northern War with Sweden, when it won a number of major victories at sea. Thanks to the Tsar's transformative activities in this direction, Russia became a world maritime power. Despite the fact that under the tsar’s immediate successors, the construction of ships was suspended, nevertheless, already in the second half of the 18th century, especially under Catherine II, the Russian fleet again showed itself brilliantly in a number of wars. The Tsar's merit lies in the fact that he took care of creating a fleet with an eye to the future. He did not just build ships for immediate needs, but intended to make Russia a maritime power, which he succeeded in doing.

The role of diplomacy

The positive results of the reforms of Peter 1 also lie in the fact that it was under him that Russia reached the level of international diplomacy, that is, it began to play one of the leading roles in the international arena. Thanks to his rule, the country became a participant in the largest and most important international events; not a single congress was held without her participation. Under the emperor, a circle of people was formed that laid the foundation for a galaxy of Russian diplomats who successfully represented our country in the international arena. This was all the more necessary because at the time in question, as well as in subsequent decades, Russia participated in all the major wars in Europe, and almost all conflicts on the mainland affected its interests in one way or another. This situation created the need for experienced and European-educated diplomats. And we can say with confidence that this one was created precisely during the reign of the emperor.

Succession problem

The positive and negative results of the reforms of Peter 1 can, perhaps, be divided equally. The advantages have already been mentioned above, but here it is necessary to mention one significant disadvantage, which had an extremely deplorable impact on the country’s future. The fact is that in connection with the infamous, the king issued a decree according to which the ruler himself had to appoint a successor for himself. However, the emperor himself, dying, did not have time to draw up a will, which subsequently led to the so-called will, which negatively affected not only the internal political development of the country, but also its position in the international arena. Constant shift rulers, the rise and fall of parties, supporters of one or another candidate each time led to a change in foreign policy and domestic policy development. And only Paul I at the end of the 18th century canceled this decree on succession to the throne, so that from now on the eldest son of the reigning emperor became the heir to the Russian throne.

General conclusions

As a conclusion, it should be said that positive results, perhaps, there were still more than negative ones. The fact that most of his reforms were preserved for the next two centuries, and his successors considered it necessary to follow his course of rule, suggests that the emperor’s reform activities corresponded to the needs of the country. The results of the reforms of Peter 1, the table of which is presented below, prove that the tsar’s measures to modernize the country were deep character, despite the fact that they were dictated by military needs.

Activities	Positive results	Negative results
Political-administrative sphere	Creation of a new state administrative system and bureaucracy that meets the needs of the country.	Lack of reforms.
Economic and military areas	Creation of a regular army and navy.	The dual nature of economic reforms: support for trade on the one hand, and tax increases on the other.
Social and cultural spheres	Creation of new educational institutions, borrowing advanced technologies, finalizing the social structure of society.	The imperfection of reforms, the mechanical transfer of foreign models into Russian reality.

So, we can say that the transformative activities of the first Russian emperor generally corresponded to the needs of his time, as evidenced by the fact that his reforms were preserved in subsequent centuries.

Social (class) reforms of Peter I - briefly

As a result of the social reforms of Peter I, the position of the three main Russian classes - nobles, peasants and urban residents - changed greatly.

The service class nobles , after the reforms of Peter I, they began to perform military service not with the local militias they themselves recruited, but in regular regiments. The nobles now (in theory) began their service from the same lower ranks as the common people. People from non-noble classes, along with nobles, could rise to the highest ranks. The procedure for obtaining service degrees has been determined since the time of the reforms of Peter I, no longer by birth and not by customs such as localism, but by the law published in 1722. Table of ranks" She established 14 ranks of army and civilian service.

To prepare for service, Peter I also obliged the nobles to undergo initial training in literacy, numbers and geometry. A nobleman who failed the established examination was deprived of the right to marry and receive an officer rank.

It should be noted that the landowner class, even after the reforms of Peter I, still had quite important service advantages over ordinary people. Nobles who entered military service, as a rule, were assigned not to ordinary army regiments, but to privileged guards regiments - Preobrazhensky and Semenovsky, stationed in St. Petersburg.

Major change in social status peasants was associated with the tax reform of Peter I. It was carried out in 1718 and replaced the previous household(from each peasant household) method of taxation per capita(from the heart). According to the results of the 1718 census, capitation tax.

This purely financial, at first glance, reform had, however, important social content. The new poll tax was ordered to be collected equally not only from peasants, but also from privately owned serfs who had not previously paid state taxes. This order of Peter I brought closer social status peasantry with powerless serfs. It predetermined the evolution of the view of serfs by the end of the 18th century not as sovereign tax people(as they were considered before), but how on complete master slaves.

Cities : the reforms of Peter I were aimed at organizing city government according to European models. In 1699, Peter I granted Russian cities the right of self-government through elected representatives burgomasters, which should have been town hall. The townspeople were now divided into “regular” and “irregular”, as well as into guilds and workshops according to their occupation. By the end of the reign of Peter I, the town halls were transformed into magistrates, which had more rights than town halls, but were elected in a less democratic way - only from “first-class” citizens. At the head of all magistrates was (from 1720) the capital's Chief Magistrate, who was considered a special collegium.

Peter I. Portrait by P. Delaroche, 1838

Military reform of Peter I - briefly

Administrative and government reforms of Peter I - briefly

Financial reforms of Peter I - briefly

Economic reforms of Peter I - briefly

Like most European figures, the second half XVII- the beginning of the 18th century, Peter I followed the principles of mercantilism in economic policy. Applying them to life, he tried in every possible way to develop industry, built factories in public funds, through broad benefits, encouraged such construction by private entrepreneurs, and assigned serfs to factories and manufactories. By the end of the reign of Peter I, there were already 233 factories in Russia.

In foreign trade, the mercantilist policy of Peter I led to strict protectionism (high duties were introduced on imported products to prevent them from competing with Russian products). State regulation of the economy was widely used. Peter I contributed to the construction of canals, roads and other means of communication, and the exploration of mineral resources. The development of the mineral wealth of the Urals gave a powerful impetus to the Russian economy.

Church reform of Peter I - briefly

As a result of the church reform of Peter I, the Russian church, previously quite independent, became completely dependent on the state. After the death of Patriarch Adrian (1700), the king ordered don't elect a new patriarch, and the Russian clergy then did not have one until the council of 1917. Instead was appointed king“Locum Tenens of the Patriarchal Throne” - Ukrainian Stefan Yavorsky.

This “uncertain” state of affairs persisted until the final reform of church government, developed with the active participation of Feofan Prokopovich, was carried out in 1721. According to this church reform of Peter I, the patriarchate was finally abolished and replaced by a “spiritual college” - Holy Synod. Its members were not elected by the clergy, but appointed by the tsar - the church had now legally become completely dependent on secular power.

In 1701, the church's land holdings were transferred to the management of the secular Monastery Prikaz. After the synodal reform of 1721, they were formally returned to the clergy, but since the latter was now completely subordinate to the state, this return was of little significance. Peter I also placed monasteries under strict state control.

Reforms of Peter I: a new page in development Russian Empire.

Peter I can be confidently called one of the greatest Russian emperors, because it was he who began the necessary reorganization of all spheres of society, the army and the economy for the country, which played a significant role important role in the development of the empire.
This topic is quite extensive, but we will talk briefly about the reforms of Peter I.
The emperor carried out a number of important reforms at that time, which should be discussed in more detail. And so what reforms of Peter I changed the empire:
Regional reform
Judicial reform
Military reform
Church reform
Financial reform
And now it is necessary to talk about each of the reforms of Peter I more separately.

Regional reform

In 1708, the order of Peter I divided the entire empire into eight large provinces, which were led by governors. The provinces, in turn, were divided into fifty provinces.
This reform was carried out in order to strengthen the verticals of imperial power, as well as to improve the provision Russian army.

Judicial reform

The Supreme Court consisted of the Senate, as well as the College of Justice. There were still courts of appeal in the provinces. However, the main reform was that the court was now completely separated from the administration.

Military reform

The emperor devoted to this reform Special attention, because I understood that the army the latest model- this is something without which the Russian Empire will not be able to become the strongest in Europe.
The first thing to be done was to reorganize the regimental structure of the Russian army according to the European model. In 1699, a massive recruitment was carried out, followed by exercises of the new army according to all the standards of the strongest armies of European states.
Perth I began vigorous training of Russian officers. If at the beginning of the eighteenth century foreign specialists held the officer ranks of the empire, then after the reforms their place began to be taken by domestic officers.
No less important was the opening of the first Maritime Academy in 1715, which later gave Russia a powerful fleet, but until that moment it did not exist. One year later, the emperor issued the Military Regulations, which regulated the duties and rights of soldiers.
As a result, in addition to a new powerful fleet consisting of battleships, Russia also received a new regular army, not inferior to the armies of European states.

Church reform

Quite serious changes took place in the church life of the Russian Empire. If earlier the church was an autonomous unit, then after the reforms it was subordinate to the emperor.
The first reforms began in 1701, but the church finally came under state control only in 1721 after the publication of a document called “Spiritual Regulations.” This document also said that during hostilities, church property could be confiscated for the needs of the state.
The secularization of church lands began, but only partially, and only Empress Catherine II completed this process.

Financial reform

The wars started by Emperor Peter I required huge funds, which at that time did not exist in Russia, and in order to find them, the emperor began to reform financial system states.
At first, a tax was imposed on taverns, where they sold huge quantities of moonshine. In addition, lighter coins began to be minted, which meant the coins were damaged.
In 1704, the main currency became the penny, and not money as it was before.
If previously households were screwed with taxes, then after the reforms every soul was screwed with taxes - that is, every male resident of the Russian Empire. Such strata as the clergy, nobility and, of course, the Cossacks were exempt from paying the poll tax.
The financial reform can be considered successful, since it significantly increased the size of the imperial treasury. From 1710 to 1725, income increased threefold, which means quite a lot of success.

Reforms in industry and trade

The needs of the new army increased significantly, which is why the emperor was forced to begin active construction of manufactories. From abroad, the emperor attracted qualified specialists to reform industry.
In 1705, the first silver smelting plant began operating in Russia. In 1723, an ironworks began operating in the Urals. By the way, the city of Yekaterinburg now stands in its place.
After the construction of St. Petersburg, it became the commercial capital of the empire.

Education reform

The Emperor understood that Russia had to become an educated state, and paid special attention to this.
From 1701 to 1821, a large number of schools were opened: mathematics, engineering, artillery, medicine, navigation. The first maritime academy was opened in St. Petersburg. The first gymnasium was opened already in 1705.
In each province, the emperor built two completely free schools, where children could receive primary, compulsory education.
These were the reforms of Peter I and this is how they influenced the development of the Russian Empire. Many reforms are now considered not entirely successful, but one cannot deny the fact that after their implementation, Russia took a big step forward.